2016 Royal Tokaji Aszú Assortment, 6 btl (1xMM,1xBetsek, 1xNyulaszo, 1xSzt. Tamas, 1xGold Lbl, 1xBlue Lbl)

This unique collection from the Royal Tokaji Company brings all the 2016 Aszú releases together. This six-bottle mix cases contains one bottle of each of the following:

2016 Tokaji Mézes Mály, 6 Puttonyos - 92 points

The 2016 Mézes Mály Great First Growth Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos, which contains 180.9g/L residual sugar, is the one cuvée whose nose I could not quite work out at first. It needs a few minutes to really coalesce, eventually offering toffee apple, adhesive, lanolin and wood resin scents. Personally, I prefer the Betsek and then the Nyulászó on the nose. The harmonious palate is business as usual, featuring pure botrytized fruit, a superb bed of acidity, and orange peel, marmalade and a touch of lemon sherbet toward the persistent finish, where a welcome touch of bitterness lingers in the mouth. Maybe the nose just needs time. Drink 2025 - 2060

2016 Tokaji Betsek, 6 Puttonyos - 96 points

The 2016 Betsek First Growth Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos contains the most residual sugar this vintage, at 185.8g/L. The clean, pure bouquet offers dried honey, a light adhesive note, lanolin and candle wax, very complex and mercurial in the glass. The elegant, well-balanced palate features apricot, quince, marmalade and a touch of ginger. What I adore is the manner in which this Betsek builds in the mouth and fans out like a great Tokaji ought to. Another outstanding single-vineyard offering from the Royal Tokaji Company. Drink 2025 - 2065.

2016 Tokaji Nyulászó, 6 Puttonyos - 95 points

The 2016 Nyulászó First Growth Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos, which delivers 180g/L residual sugar, has a deep, honeyed, slightly more introverted bouquet compared to the Ste. Tamás. It gradually reveals scents of manuka honey, orange pith and quince jus, yet it clearly deserves several years to really open. The palate is very well balanced, harmonious and brimming with tension. Pears, Seville orange marmalade, hints of mandarin and fresh figs vie for attention. This is a powerful, intense Tokaji, but razor-sharp, delivering real precision and "bite" toward the finish. Outstanding. Drink 2025 - 2060

2016 Tokaji Szt. Tamás, 6 Puttonyos - 92 points

The 2016 Szt. Tamás First Growth Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos contains 176.4g/L residual sugar and 9.9g/L total acidity. It is the palest of the four single-site Aszú wines from the Royal Tokaji Company, plus it is the only one that is 100% Furmint. The bouquet unfurls with clementines and quince, and touches of almond, popcorn and crushed stone - all very seductive. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity that lends outstanding tension from start to finish, flanked by a killer line of salinity. Very harmonious for sure, albeit without the substance and gravitas of the other three single-vineyard offerings. Drink 2022 - 2042

2016 Tokaji Gold Label, 6 Puttonyos - 94 points

The 2016 Gold Label Tokaji Aszú 6 Puttonyos, which delivers 188g/L residual sugar, is slightly more limpid in the glass than the Blue Label. The aromatics are also a serious and tangible step up, with much more Aszú character coming through: dried honey, a light adhesive aroma, orange pith and quince explode from the glass. The palate is ripe and viscous on the entry, then very fine acidity imparts great tension, particularly toward the finish. There is an underlying salinity at play that keeps the saliva flowing, yet unlike some botrytized dessert wines, this does not feel heavy or cloying in any way. Superb. Drink 2022 - 2050

2016 Tokaji Blue Label, 5 Puttonyos - 90+ points

The 2016 Blue Label Tokaji Aszú 5 Puttonyos, which contains 158g/L residual sugar, has an intense nose of dried honey, toffee apple, gingerbread, pumpkin and a touch of ripe canned peaches; I just would like a little more definition and focus. The palate is very well balanced with a fine bead of acidity, lightly spiced and showing a little more cohesion than the aromatics. I love the finish, which offers tangy Seville orange marmalade, quince and just a pinch of sea salt. I would give this a couple of years for the nose to coalesce. Drink 2022 - 2042

Neal Martin, vinous.com (Aug 2020)